Lara sweeps West Indies cricket awards

PORT OF SPAIN: Brian Lara swept the West Indies Cricket Awards, winning three of the top honours -- including the Cricketer of the Year Award - on Thursday night.

Lara was honoured at a gala function held at the Chaguaramas Convention Centre in West Trinidad and the West Indies Players' Association (WIPA) Cricketer of the Year award was just one of the accolades that the batting maestro won in the function.

The player, who holds the World record of highest Test score (400), also captured the WIPA Special Award and was adjudged the Test Player of the Year.

Team discard, wicketkeeper Denesh Ramdin was voted the emerging player of the year, and in-form batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan was rewarded for his good show in the domestic circuit and was given the first-class player of the year title. Emerging pacer Ian Bradshaw was named the one-day player of the year.

Several dignitaries -- including the President of Trinidad and Tobago George Maxwell Richards and Convenor of the West Indies senior selection panel Joey Carew -- attended the function.

The awardees:
West Indies Cricketer of the Year - Brian Lara
Test Player of the Year - Brian Lara
WIPA Special Award - Brian Lara
TGIF First Class Player of the Year - Ramnaresh Sarwan
WIPA Emerging Player of the Year - Denesh Ramdin
ODI Player of the Year - Ian Bradshaw.